Balance-adjuster for vehicles.



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A7TOR/VEY IINIED STATIPQFENT OFFIOF.

BALANCE-ADJUSTER FOR VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 24, 1905.

Application filed February 11, 1905. Serial No. 245.235.

To a/ZZ whom t 'may concern:

Be it known that I, PATRICK Josera Mo GINN, a subject of the King ofGreat Britain, and a resident of Bulawayo, Matabeleland, South Africa,have invented a new and lmproved Balance-Adjuster for Vehicles, of whichthe following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to vehicles and concerns itself especially with theconstruction of a balance-adjuster, which is intended to be usedparticularly in connection with twowheeled vehicles for the purpose ofadjusting the body of the vehicle over the axle, distributing oradjusting the weight of the body between the axle and the shafts.

The object of the invention is to produce a simple arrangement foreffecting the adjustment suggested in an easy manner withoutnecessitating the drivers descending from the vehicle.

rIhe invention consists in the construction and combination of parts tobe more fully described hereinafter and definitely set forth in theclaims. l

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a road-cart to which my invention hasbeen applied, certain parts being broken away to illustrate more clearlyits application. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section taken through theprincipal part of the mechanism and showing a portion of the Iioor ofthe cart also in section, this view being upon an enlarged scale. Fig. 3is substantially a reverse plan View of the parts shown in Fig. 2, andFig.4 is a plan view illustratinga mod fied arrangement which may beused in connection with the invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 represents the body of aroad-cart of a common form. To the under side of this body transversestraps 2 are attached, the same extending beyond the sides of the bodyand formed with upwardly-turned extremities 3, terminating in sleeves 4.These sleeves are provided with bores and are adapted to slide uponhorizontal bars 5, which bars constitute parts of brackets 6, which areattached to the under side of the frame 7 of the vehicle. By thisarrangement it should be understood that while the body is supportedupon the frame the manner in which it is su pported enables the body tobe moved in a forward or rearward direction or transversely with respectto the axle 8. In order that the vehicle may be easy-riding, springs 9of a suitable form are arranged between the frame 7 and the axle 8, asindicated.

rIhe frame 7 preferablyincludes a rear crossbar or tail-bar 10 and aforward cross-bar 11, to which a swingletree 12 may be attached, asshown.

At a suitable point beneath the floor 13 of the vehicle there is mounteda bar 14, prefably made of iron and having its wide face or flat sidedisposed horizontally. In the extremities of this bar openings l5 areformed, which receive eyes 16, formed at the extremities of rods 17 18.These rods 17 18 are olfset at their outer extremities to form anchors19 20, which anchors are attached in any suitable manner, as shown, tothe cross-bar lO and the cross-bar -11.

The bar 14 is provided throughout its length with a plurality ofopenings 21, preferably of rectangular form, as shown, and disposed anequal distance apart. erably subtantially over its middle point, thefloor 13 is provided with an opening 22, and beneath this opening abracket 23 is attached to the under side of the ioor in any suitablemanner, as shown. side plates 24, which are disposed vertically, and theedges of these side plates incline upwardly and are concaved or cutcirculn ferentially to form bearings 25, elevated with respect to thebracket, as indicated. plates 24 are formed integral with ends 26,provided with ianges 27. by means ol'l which the bracket is attached.Furthermore, the side plates 24 are connected by a bottom web 28,disposed at their lower edges and preferably situated toward the rearend of the bracket. The bracket is [n.nintcd and so constructed thatwhen the parts are in position this web 28 will lie adjacent to theupper face of the bar 14.

I n the web 28 an opening 29 is formed which is preferably ofsubstantially the saine form as the openings 21, referred to above, andadapted to register therewith fora purpose which will appearhereinafter.

A socket 30 is provided which opens upwardly, as shown, and is adaptedto receive the lower extremity of a removable lever 3l.

Above the bar 14, pref- 30 This bracket comprises These side This socketis received in the space between the side plates 24. Near its upperextremity it is formed with pintles orgudgeons 32, which are received,as indicated, in the aforesaid bearings 25. The lower extremity7 of thissocket lies adjacent to the upper face of the bar 14, as shown, and aportion of the lower face of the socket is removed, so as to form anopening 33. Adjacent to this opening in the rear wall of the socket acoupling or lock 34 is pivotally attached at 35. This coupling or lockconsists of a normally substantially hori- Zontal bar having a lateralextension 36, which normally occupies the opening 29, projecting belowthe same and into any one of the openings 21 in the bar 14. In dottedlines in Fig. 2 this lock or coupling is represented in the positionreferred to. Beyond the pivot-point 35 of the lock the same is formedinto a projecting toe 37, which extends into and through the opening 33,projecting into the interior of the bottom of the socket 30, as will bereadily understood. By this arrangement it should be readily understoodthat the lock 34 affords a simple means for locking the body of thevehicle upon the bar 14.

In order to prevent any undesirable swaying movement of the bar 14, thesame is supported upon its under side by means of projecting wings 38,which are integral with the side walls 24 and project, respectively,therefrom in opposite directions.

The body may be disengaged at any time and moved forwardly or rearwardlyin order to adjust the same. To this end the lever 31, referred toabove, is provided, the said lever having in its lower extremity asocket or pocket 39, in which there is slidably mounted a pinch block40. The said block has an elongated slot 41 in the upper portionthereof, through which slot passes a pin 42, fixed in the side of thelever, as will be readily understood. T he lower extremity of thispinchblock 40 projects below an extremity of the lever 31, as indicated,and its bottom face 43 is preferably inclined, as shown, longitudinallywith respect to the bar 14.v The lower extremity of the lever 31 whenapplied in the socket as shown in Fig. 2 is adapted to abut against theprojecting toe 37 of the lock 34 in such a manner as to raise the rearportion or body of the lock, disengaging the extension 36 thereof fromthe bar 14 in the manner indicated. l/Vhen the lever is applied asshown, the connection between the body and the bar 14 will be broken. Ifit is desired to adjust the body in a rearward direction, the handle ofthe lever will then be pushed forwardly. As the socket 30 movedrearwardly the inclined face 43 would ride up upon and over the upperface of the bar 14, passing freely upwardly in the pocket 39. If thelever were rocked sufficiently, the sharpened toe 44 of the pinch-block40 would eventually drop down into the next or adjacent opening in thebar, whereupon a reverse movement of the lever would operate to move thebody of the vehicle rearwardly, it being understood that the toe 44 ofthe pinch-block would operate as a fulcrum for this purpose. It shouldbe understood that the form of the lower portion of the lever 31 issymmetrical, or substantially so, so that if it were desired to move thebody of the vehicle forwardly instead of rearwardly, as suggested, thelever would be turned around and applied in an opposite position, sothat the inclined face 43 of the 4pinch-block would incline upwardlytoward the front of the vehicle. lVith this new position for the leverthe lock 34 would be disengaged in the same manner as before and therocking of the lever bring about substantially the saine operation ofthe'pinch-block as mentioned above, the only exception being that thebody of the vehicle would be moved forwardly instead of rearwardly. Uponremoving the lever of course the lock 34 would ,descend of its ownweight, so as to lock the body in the new adjusted position to the bar14.

From the description given above it would appear that the bar 14substantially constitutes a rack, which may be engaged by the lock at aplurality of points, so as to lock the body in an advanced positionorotherwise.

The lever 31 would of course normally not be in sight, but would bestowed away somewhere in the body of the vehicle, where it could beconveniently found should it become necessary to adjust the body assuggested. In Fig. 4 a modied construction is shown, in which a rack-bar45 is represented as dis- IOO posed near the middle line of the frame46.

With this construction of course the opening 22 in the iioor will be atsubstantially the middle point of the body, as will be readilyunderstood. The forward extremity of the bar 45 will be supported upon arod 47, anchored to the forward cross-bar 48, and the rear extremity ofthe bar 45 will be supported upon a Y-brace 49, the rear forks whereofare attached to the rear extremities of the side bars of the frame, asindicated.

Having thus described my invention, Iclaim as new and desire to securebyLetters Patent* 1. In a vehicle, in combination, an axle, a bodymovable with respect to the same, a removable lever, means operatedthereby for adjusting the position of said body, means for locking saidbody, and automatic means for unlocking said body by the application ofsaid lever.

2. In a vehicle, in combination, a body, a bar disposed longitudinallywith respect to the same and constituting a rack, a lever mounted onsaid body and engaging said barv for advancing said body thereupon, andmeans for locking said body to said bar in a plurality of positions.

3. In a Vehicle, in combination, a bodya a lock carried by said body andadapted to engage said openings respectively to lock said body to saidbar, and means engaging said bar for advancing said body with respect tothe same.

a. 1n a vehicle, in combination, a body, a bar disposed longitudinallywith respect to the same, a lock for attaching said body to said bar,and a lever adapted to advance said body With respect to said bar, thesaid lever engaging said lock to disconnect the same.

5. In a vehicle, in combination, a movable body, a socket for a lever, amember adapted to lock said body in a plurality of positions, and alever adapted to be engaged in said socket and constituting means loradvancing said body, said lever engaging said locking member todisconnect said body.

6. 1n a vehicle, in combination, a movable body, a socket adapted toreceive a lever, a lock for lixing said body in a plurality of positions, a lever adapted to be received in said socket, and meanswhereby said lever may advance -said body, said lock projecting into thepath of said lever.

7. 1n a vehicle, in combination, a rack, a body movable longitudinallywith respect to the same, a pivoted socket, a lever received in saidsocket and engaging said rack, and a lock carried by said socket andadapted to iix said body to said rack, said lever engaging' said lock todisconnect the same.

8. 1n a vehicle, in combination, a rack, a body movable longitudinallywith respect to the same, a pivoted socket, a lock carried thereby,projecting into said socket and affording means for locking said body tosaid rack, and a lever adapted to engage said socket and said rack toadvance said body, said lever engaging' said lock Within said socket.

9. In a vehicle, in combination, a movable body, a rack disposedlongitudinally With respect to the same, a socket having' an axis oirotation, a lever adapted to slide into said socket, and a lock lying inthe path of said lever and adapted to tix said body.

10. In a vehicle, in combination, a frame, a body, one oi' said partscarrying brackets, the other of said parts carrying sleeves slidablymounted upon said brackets, a rack disposed longitudinally vvith respectto said body and fixed to said frame, a lever engaging' said rack toadvance said body, and means Jfor locking said body in a plurality o't'positions.

11. ln a vehicle, in combination, a trame, a body, brackets having'longitudinally-disposed bars carried by said frame, sleeves carried bysaid body and slidably mounted upon said bars, a rack disposedlongitudinally with respect to said body, a lever engaging said rack toadvance said body, and means for locking said body to said rack in aplurality of positions.

12. ln a vehicle, in combination, a movable body, a bracket carriedthereby, a longitudinally-disposed rack adjacent to said bracket, aloeknormally projecting from said bracket and engaging said rack, and alever adapted to engage said rack to advance said body said lockprojecting' into the path of said level` to disconnect itself.

13. In a vehicle in combination, a movable body, a bracket carriedthereby and having an opening in the wall thereof, a rack lying adjacentto said opening and disposed longitudinally with respect to said body, apivoted socket carried by said bracket, a lock carried by said socketvand normally extending through said opening to engage said rack, and alever received in said socket and engaging said rack said lever engagingsaid lock to disconnect the saine.

14. In a vehicle, in combination, amovable body, a bracket carriedthereby and having an opening in the Wall thereof, a rack disposedlongitudinally With respect to said body, a socket pivotally mountedupon said bracket, a lock carried by said socket normally projectingthrough said opening, said rack having means for engaging said lock at aplurality of points, and a lever adapted to slide into said socket toengage said rack, said lock projecting into the path oi said lever as itslides in the said socket.

15. In a vehicle, in combination, a movable body, a rack, a levermounted on said body and having an axis of rotation disposedtransversely oi" said rack, and a member loosely carried by said leverand presenting an inclined point engaging said rack.

16. 1n a vehicle, in combination, a movable body, a fixed rack, a leverhaving an aXis oiE rotation upon said body disposed transversely of saidrack, and a sliding' block carried by said lever and presenting a toewith an inclined face, engaging said rack.

17. 1n a vehicle, in combination, amovable body, a bar disposedlongitudinally With respect to said body, and having a plurality ofopenings therein, a socket having an axis of rotation and carried bysaid body, a lever received in said socket, a movable block carried bysaid lever and adapted to engage said openings, said block having anabrupt forward face Vfor engaging said bar, and an inclined rear face.

18.111 a vehicle, in combination, a movable body, a bar disposedlongitudinally with respect to said body and having a plurality ofopenings therethrough, a bracket carried by said body and having anopening in the Wall thereof adjacent to said bar, a pivoted socketcarried by said bracket, a lock pivotally carried by said socket andhaving an extension normally lyingin said opening in said bracket, andan alining opening in said bar, a removable lever adapted to be thrustinto said socket, said lock projecting into said socket to engage TOOIIO

said lever, said lever having a socket, and a movable block carried insaid last-named socket and having a projecting toe adapted to engage theopenings of said bar.

19. In a Vehicle, in combination, amovable body, a pivoted socketcarried thereby, a rack lying adjacent to said socket, a lever, and amovable block carried by said lever and adapted to engage said rack toadvance said body, said block having an inclined rear face adapted toride over said rack, said lever being reversible in said socket toadvance said body in either direction.

20. In a vehicle, in combination, a movable body, a bracket carriedthereby presenting side walls, a rack disposed longitudinally withrespect to said body at the lower portion PATRICK JOSEPH MCGINN.

Witnesses:

C. F. WEBB, Gr. M. KIRsoHBAUM.

